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Original poster

who is entitled to DLA ?

28 replies

cheeryface · 12/04/2011 15:46

sorry dont know much about it all but ds is suspected aspergers and i was wondering what makes someone eligible for DLA
thanx

OP posts:
autumnsmum · 12/04/2011 15:53

yes it does my son 6 has hfa and he gets it

Original poster
cheeryface · 12/04/2011 16:04

so what problems would a child need to have ? i have been told that you dont have to have a diagnoses to get it . is that right ? but if you dont have a diagnosis then surely anyone could make up any old rubbish ?
that probably doesnt sound as i intend but hopefully yswim !

OP posts:
tabulahrasa · 12/04/2011 16:33

If he needs more help with things than would be expected for a child his age, then he'll qualify for it. So it's help with things like, eating, sleeping, dressing, toiletting, bathing, communicating with others, needing extra supervision - things like that.

It's not the diagnosis that matters, it's his needs, you fill in the form, give contact details for school, and medical people that he's been seen by - they'll contact them and ask what he needs help with. So it's not done purely on your saying it, if that's what you mean. They also like to have a statement from someone else who knows the child, but they don't have to be a professional and any paperwork you might have (IEPs, Statement, Assessments anything like that).

lisa6967 · 12/04/2011 17:10

i am at the moment going thru asessments for my 4 year old son, my health visitor is pushing for a diagnosis of hfa/asperges and the senco at his nursery are pushing for a statement, they have told me to apply for DLA i dont have a clue were to start. My son has to be spoonfed at mealtimes but i know he can feed himself he just refuses to point blank, he also will not walk far so then has to be carried and he is not lighti can tell you as i am only 7 stone and 5 ft tall!! He has had ed pyschs asessment done and it came back with all the signs, handflapping, no eye contact with children or teachers, no empathy towards anybody, i am currently waiting for SALT asessment but not till 19th may, do i apply for all these things now, statement, DLA and diagnosis, somebody help please, i have KIDS coming tomorrow to see ed pyschs report she is the parent partnership i still waiting to hear about key worker

EllenJane1 · 12/04/2011 17:19

Remember, Lisa, refusing to comply due to a developmental disability needs just as much help from a carer as not being physically able to do something. Eg, if he lies down and refuses to walk, you need as much help as if he cannot walk. It's harder to convince DLA of this WRT higher rate mobility but WRT the care component it's perfectly valid. HTH

lisa6967 · 12/04/2011 17:24

sorry but was does WRT mean?

tabulahrasa · 12/04/2011 17:35

They're all separate though lisa, so apply for them when you want, that's not helpful eh? lol

What I mean is, you don't have to wait for any of those to start the others, so if you can handle doing them all at once, do them. If you feel like you might want to stagger them a bit, decide which is most important and do that one first.

The not doing things when they can...unless you also have the most awkward child in the world who has consciously decided to not do things (unlikely, lol) he is unable to walk, because his (probable) ASD* causes behavioural difficulties that make him unable to walk.

www.cerebra.org.uk/Resources/Cerebra/Parent%20Support/dla_guide_nov07.pdf

there's a guide there that's useful

  • filling it in pre-diagnosis is a bit tricky because you can't put that, but not impossible.
Chundle · 12/04/2011 18:46

Hi my dd is 20 months and has no dx except for sensory integration difficulties. I suspect she has asd but she is still quite young. She hardly sleeps doesn't tolerate people at all well which makes it difficult having visitors at the house, difficulties with change in routine, clothing etc etc. I just put on the form she can't tolerate XYZ unlike other kids her age and she can't cope in this situation unlike others her age. We sent off rports from OT, salt and child development centre and paed that reiterated what I had put. HTH

lisa6967 · 12/04/2011 19:03

chundle did u qualify for dla?

EllenJane1 · 12/04/2011 19:09

Sorry, Lisa WRT with respect to. Shouldn't use TLAs (three letter abbreviations) all over the place! Blush Grin

Chundle · 12/04/2011 19:16

Hi Lisa yes we do get it. I was very surprised we were awarded it and expected it to go to appeal but awarded first time. I didn't put all dds difficulties in last post as dint want to make it a long one! Lol but she also has unstable posture and we are currently awaiting MRI scan she's a bit of a difficult case apparently! Trust it to be my child!!

Chundle · 12/04/2011 19:22

Oops sorry lisa that sent by mistake! We get high rate care. Dd has some signs of asd but not others. She makes fleeting eye contact but will point and smile/laugh. She only has a few words but struggles a lot with her communication as words she does know don't help her so she's learning to sign. She can't tolerate waiting rooms or shops, school playgrounds and if other kids talk to her or touch her she screams. She has repetitive behaviours like switching on and off switches and opening and shutting drawers and doors and will hit her head. Shes fussy with food and clothes and hates most of my friends :( I wrote all of this on form. I think we got high rate care due to he erratic sleeping. Just an example my hubby bought an automatic airfreshne that released every 45 mins he put it upstairs an dd woke every 45 mins whenever it went off! Write down everything!

lisa6967 · 12/04/2011 20:52

thanx chundle for advice, still not looking forward to filling in form, my son has constant hand flapping and shrugs his right shoulder all the time, he is very repetative for example sky plus, we have to watch the same 20 seconds of certain bits of programmes that he likes over and over again for at least 30 times, he is a very fussy eater will only eat certain foods, and will not feed himself, he is nearly 5 years old, he still wets the bed a couple of times a night so then full bed and pyjama change, he will not kiss and cuddle me and tells me he dosnt like me, only dad, he does not say hello or goodbye to me and screams and kicks off if i pick him up from school and not his father, he had ed pyschs report done and they picked up on hand flapping repetitiveness and no eye contact with children or peers, also no empathy with anyone, for example, a child was crying and my son just told her to shut up,, he will not walk far either and will insist on being carried which isnt easy for me as 5ft 7 stone carrying a child nearly 5, is it worth putting any of this down?

Chundle · 12/04/2011 20:58

Oh yes I'd put the whole lot down especially important is the wetting at night as night time care weighs heavily on your case. We have the tv thing to! Same part of DVD over and over :) you can get citizens advice to help you do form stik down everything you put here and use extra paper I you need to. Good luck

lisa6967 · 12/04/2011 21:12

thanx mite ask u for bit more advice when pluck up the courage to tackle the form, got parent partnership coming to my house in morning should i mention form to her are they any good at that sort of stuff?

Chundle · 12/04/2011 21:31

Not sure they'd know who can help you if not though

MarioandLuigi · 12/04/2011 21:31

When we applied for DS we used the Cerebra DLA guide - if you google it you should find it and it was really helpful.

lisa6967 · 12/04/2011 22:35

yes found the guide had a look thru it thanks, ive requested it thru the post aswell as dont like reading long files on comps, never seem to be able to read them properly

lisa6967 · 14/04/2011 17:55

back to the bed wetting, my health visitor said it was normal for a child to do this up to 7 yrs old, so would dla say this to me? when we put him to bed we have to read the same story 13 times over, if we dont he screams and will not settle, he will get out of bed and bang on anything he can find, this can go on for over an hour also he wakes up bout 4 in a morning and trys to go down the stairs and start turning things on, so it has got so i have to have him in my room every night so that i know he hasnt sneaked downstairs, i have learnt to wake up at ds slightest movement, would this be any good to put down

EllenJane1 · 14/04/2011 18:01

All looks good to put down. Bedwetting at 7 is at the very edge of NT so put it too. Does he get upset and need calming at night when he bed wets or has nightmares? All should be mentioned and time taken for you to re-settle.

lisa6967 · 14/04/2011 18:31

yes when ds decides at 4 in the morn to wake up, all hell can break loose, i can be over an hour trying to get him to settle back down, by then he has woken the other boys up, so sometimes i have to just take him downstairs, this is not good for me either as i have days at work which are 12 hour shifts and with lack of sleep for me its not good, but also the other boys who have to be up for school aswell

lisa6967 · 14/04/2011 18:35

my ds is only 4 he will be 5 in sept (back to the bedwetting)

EllenJane1 · 14/04/2011 18:46

Put it anyway. Won't hurt! All the time taken at night to supervise and settle is very good ammo for higher rate care which you only get for night time care. It must be after you would normally go to bed yourself, so for normal day shift people would be after 11 and before 7. If you are on 12 hour shifts your normal bed time might be shifted.

Disturbance outside these times needs to be noted as well to help with middle rate care etc. Put it all in. Even if it's an average. Eg usually average of 2 hours a night for average 3 nights a week etc.

lisa6967 · 14/04/2011 18:59

god have to get me head in order for the form it very complicated! thanx ellenjane1 keep u posted